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A Practical Guide to CLEAPSS School Laboratory Design
Practical science is at its best when students can safely light burners, set up experiments and handle real chemicals - not just watch from the back of the room. But with gas, electricity, corrosive substances and heat all in one space, school laboratories must be designed and run with safety at their core. In the UK, CLEAPSS is widely regarded as the gold standard for safe practical science. For schools designing or refurbishing science labs, prep rooms and chemical stores,
Rob Main
Dec 1010 min read


CLEAPSS and School Learning Spaces: A Guide for Planning Projects
As more schools and multi-academy trusts invest in modernising their science laboratories, D&T workshops and food technology rooms, one question consistently shapes early planning conversations: Table of Contents How does CLEAPSS impact the design, refurbishment and safe use of these spaces? What Is CLEAPSS? Why CLEAPSS Matters to UK Schools Supporting UK Health & Safety Requirements Supporting a Practical-Rich Curriculum Avoiding Expensive Design Errors CLEAPSS and Science
Rob Main
Dec 105 min read


Clutter Kills Learning: How Teaching Walls Boost Focus and Flow in Classrooms
A 2024 study by the Education Endowment Foundation found that reducing visual clutter in classrooms can improve pupil progress by up to 16% , particularly for pupils with SEND or attention difficulties. Teaching Has Evolved But Many Classrooms Haven’t In 2025, classrooms are expected to support far more than traditional teaching. From blended learning to neurodiverse support, schools need layouts that enhance, not hinder, focus and organisation. Yet in many schools, the physi
Rob Main
Nov 213 min read


Greener Classrooms, Smarter Futures: How Net Zero Targets Are Reshaping School Refurbishment
The Push for Sustainable Schools – How Net Zero Targets Affect Refurbishment
Rob Main
Nov 182 min read


Safety First: Why Science Lab Refurbishment Is a Top Priority in 2025/26
Science education is at the heart of the UK’s STEM ambitions. Yet many secondary schools are trying to deliver modern science lessons in labs that are decades old often designed for curricula and class sizes that no longer apply.
Rob Main
Nov 63 min read


Beyond the Classroom: How Outdoor Learning Spaces Can Transform School Environments in 2025
In 2025, learning is no longer confined to the four walls of a classroom. With growing emphasis on wellbeing, engagement, and environmental awareness, outdoor learning is back in focus, and gaining traction with Ofsted too
Rob Main
Nov 43 min read


More Than a Coffee Break: Why Staffroom Design Matters for Teacher Wellbeing in 2025
In the push to improve student outcomes, the spaces used by teachers are often forgotten. While classrooms are modernised and student wellbeing is prioritised, staffrooms remain cramped, neglected, or altogether non-existent.
Rob Main
Oct 312 min read


Smarter Spending: Tackling the School Refurbishment Backlog by Prioritising Upgrades Over Rebuilds
Schools across the UK are facing a brutal financial reality. Capital budgets are tighter than ever. Rebuilding costs are rising. And with over £11.4bn in maintenance backlogs already logged, there’s simply not enough funding to go around.
Rob Main
Oct 302 min read


Fire Safety in Schools: What Refurbishment Must Get Right in 2025
Following the Grenfell Inquiry and ongoing reviews of the Building Safety Act, schools face stricter compliance standards in 2025 than ever before. Whether you’re upgrading a lab, washroom or classroom, every material, fitting and fire escape route matters.
Rob Main
Oct 243 min read


Growing Trusts, Stretched Estates: Why Every MAT Needs an Academy Trust Estate Strategy
Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) are expanding at pace. With government policy actively encouraging school mergers and larger trusts, MATs are inheriting complex, ageing estates, each with different layouts, standards, and priorities.
Rob Main
Oct 222 min read


Tackling the £11.4 Billion Backlog: Why Refurbishment Is the Smartest Fix for Schools
While budgets remain tight, the cost of doing nothing is rising. That’s why smart refurbishment, not just emergency repair, should be the strategy schools adopt in 2025 and beyond.
Rob Main
Oct 173 min read


Flush with Innovation: Rethinking School Washroom Refurbishment for 2025
From student safety to hygiene, from gender inclusivity to accessibility, school toilets are no longer just a building regulation tick-box, they’re a wellbeing priority. The trouble is, many school washrooms haven’t changed in decades.
Rob Main
Oct 153 min read


Classrooms for the AI Era: Why AI in Education Demands New Learning Environments
AI is no longer a buzzword in education. From adaptive learning platforms and AI teaching assistants to automated marking and smart data insights, artificial intelligence is reshaping the classroom experience. But there’s a problem: our physical learning environments haven’t caught up.
Rob Main
Oct 82 min read


Inspection-Ready: How the Ofsted School Environment Influences Judgements in 2025
Since the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, Ofsted inspections have returned in full force. But post-pandemic priorities have shifted. Schools are being judged not only on academic outcomes, but also on safeguarding, behaviour, personal development, and wellbeing.
Rob Main
Oct 12 min read


Inclusive by Design: How SEND Classroom Design Can Support Learners Through Smarter Space Planning
The best inclusive environments don’t single out, they offer flexibility for all. This is known as Universal Design, spaces that work for the widest range of users without the need for special adaptations.
Rob Main
Sep 292 min read


Beyond the Pandemic: Is Post-COVID Classroom Design Keeping Pace with 2025 Learning Needs?
Post-Pandemic, Education Has Changed But Have Our Spaces? When the Covid-19 pandemic forced a rapid pivot to remote and hybrid learning, schools adapted their methods overnight.
Rob Main
Sep 243 min read


More Than a Mood: How School Design Can Support Mental Health and Wellbeing
In 2025, mental health isn’t a fringe topic in schools, it’s front and centre. With nearly 20% of students aged 7–16 facing likely mental health disorders, school leaders are being asked to go beyond curriculum and care: to create environments that actively support wellbeing.
Rob Main
Sep 223 min read


More Students, Less Space: How to Prepare Your School for the 2025/26 Pupil Surge
You don’t always need a new building to meet growing demand. Strategic refurbishment and smart space planning can unlock capacity where you least expect it.
Rob Main
Sep 172 min read


School Science Lab Design
A modern school science lab must be more than a functional classroom. It is a space where pupils can investigate, collaborate, and apply...
Rob Main
Sep 169 min read


What the 2025 DfE Capital Funding Boost Means for School Refurbishment
Want to make the most of your 2025 funding? Read this article to learn how to maximise your spend and bring results that enable success.
Rob Main
Mar 242 min read
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